Peristaltic fertilizer pumps are well known in the art. Such pumps typically include two to twenty-four outlets per pump. These pumps usually include a drive unit, a rotating member connected to the drive unit, and a plurality of rollers rotatably connected to the rotating member. As the rotating member rotates, the rollers squeezable contact a plurality of hoses to urge the fertilizer therethrough.
Such prior art mechanisms have certain difficulties associated with their use. For instance, the rollers are typically connected to the rotating member by ball and needle bearings. Such bearings can be ruined if liquid fertilizer contacts them.
A more serious problem, however, involves the securing of one pump to another. An operator may wish to spread fertilizer through forty-eight outlets. The largest pump currently made only has twenty-four. Therefore, two pumps of this size must be connected together. The prior art pumps must be connected in series to accomplish this. When so connected, the length of the combined units can be greater than the available mounting space provided on the farm implement equipment. Therefore, the operator must usually accept some unsatisfactory compromise in order to complete fertilization of the field.